The safety of minimally invasive colectomy (laparoscopic or laparoscopically assisted colectomy) has not been evaluated in the elderly patient. Therefore, a prospective study of the outcome of minimally invasive colectomy (MIC) in patients aged 65 years or older was undertaken. Between October 1991 and September 1993, 103 elderly patients underwent attempted MIC (right colectomy, 53; left colectomy, sigmoid colectomy, or anterior resection, 36; abdominoperineal resection, 12; and total proctocolectomy with ileostomy, 2); 81 procedures were successfully completed. Complications occurred in 23% of patients converted to laparotomy (including one death) and in 25% undergoing successful MIC (two deaths, p = ns). The average length of postoperative stay was 5.3 days in the MIC group and 8.1 days for patients converted to laparotomy (p < 0.001). These results compare favorably with published results of traditional colectomy for elderly patients. We conclude that MIC is safe in the elderly patient and that further studies are warranted.